• Characterizing novel antimicrobial agents
• Mutagenesis of lantibiotic biosynthetic systems
• Preclinical evaluation of novel antimicrobial agents

Publications:

Approach advancements for engineering novel peptide analogs of existing lantibiotics: where are we today? (2024) Joseph, T., Smith, L. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 20(1), 17-30.

Previously Uncharacterized Variants, OCF-E–OCF-J, of the Antifungal Occidiofungin Produced by Burkholderia contaminans MS14. (2024) Hansanant, N., Cao, K., Tenorio, A., Joseph, T., Ju, M., McNally, N., Kummari, E., Williams, M., Cothrell, A., Buhrow, A.R., Shin, R., Orugunty, R. & Smith, L. Journal of Natural Products, 87(2), 186-194.

Presentations:

Optimizing the production of mutacin 1140 in Streptococcus mutans JH1140 by mutagenesis. American Society for Microbiology, Houston, Texas. 2024